It took time but Skull, when not energized by his own Cloud Flames, had to stop. His stamina wasn't the greatest (no shit that's why you died remember?) without his Flames and surrounded by buildings and Civilians who had no idea about Flames wasn't the greatest place to have a one-sided street fight against the Mafia's version of a 007. Training and all. Ugh.

Panting Skull glared up at the annoyingly neutral expression on Reborn's face. He was still pissed. Honestly, he was always pissed now a days. When he wasn't scared out of his mind at everyone looking for him, the rage grew and grew. It was a horrible feeling, like acid and rot eating up his insides but he didn't have anything else to fight against it with. He couldn't rest with everyone chasing him, couldn't breath with the cage bars creeping in.

All because of this fucking man.

"Why can't you ever just do what I want?! Why do you always have to do the exact opposite? Is it like, a thing with you? 'Fuck! Skull wants me to do this so I have to do this instead!' Is that what it is?!" He snipped acidicly.

"What do you want me to do then?" Reborn's voice was quiet compared to all the shouting that they'd done. Skull had done.

"I want you to leave me alone! Just-!" He couldn't keep this up. It was so hard trying to get through to him. Why couldn't he just go?

"All I want is for you all to just.. leave me alone. Forget I ever existed. Stop hurting me, stop talking to me, just stop everything." Skulls voice was harsh. Caught somewhere between bitter hope and hurt agony.

Reborn shifted on his feet, one of his hands which he'd had in his slacks pocket rose up to tilt that prized fedora down over his eyes. Skull had a disappointing realization that he knew what Reborn was going to say before it ever left his mouth.

"I can't, Skull." Reborn's voice was quiet. Toneless. He wouldn't look at him anymore but he had no problem sending that crushing feeling back down between them.

Skull hunched down from where he'd been thrown earlier. He was already so close to his knees anyways what did it matter if he shoved his face into them? What did he care what Reborn thought anymore?

"Why?"

He couldn't see anything but he could still hear the shifting of cloth. The crackling of bone popping when moved unexpectedly. He'd normally be more weary about giving Reborn even more opportunity to attack him but what was the point? The man already thought he was too weak to fight with.

"I don't know." His voice was way to close!

Before Skull could think about anything other than the terror that rocketed through him at the thought of not being able to see Reborn and him being that close he'd skirted/crawled sideways down the wall he'd been leaning against. He hadn't meant to, it hadn't been a conscious thought. He'd just done it. He'd heard Reborn close to him (to close!) had almost felt the Heat the Sun radiated when he wasn't careful and had acted on base instinct.

All that'd ran through his mind had been fear.

He needed to move. Now. If Reborn had decided to pay him back for attacking him earlier he'd need to find a way out of this ally. It was a small space, Civilians were everywhere around them and he didn't know where Leon was but-

...but Reborn was still crouched where Skull had just been. He had one of his hands raised, not in a fist but held out. Like he'd been about to touch him. He wasn't looking at where Skull he gone though. He was staring at the patch of brick with a look on his face that Skull couldn't understand, couldn't name. The emotions that the normally cold man was actually, unconsciously displaying were strange. But it was Reborn's eyes that truly scared him. He'd never seen that look before. Not in person.

It would be cheap to say that look in Reborn's black eyes was devastated. But he didn't know how else to categorize it. He looked as if someone had pulled a sheet off of some excruciatingly painful hidden truth. Like someone had taken everything he'd ever loved and burned it all to ash in front of him. If Skull didn't know Leon probably wasn't here, he'd fear for whoever had hurt the creature just now.

Reborn cared for very few things in his life, truly cared. Everyone knew that. But the things he did care for he protected viciously. With Tsuna being safely entombed behind dozens of Flame Actives that would go to war for the kid if he so much as sneezed, Dino off in London with a full assortment of his own mini army, Leon (probably) not even here and the Arcobaleno all living together, ( A small part of him actually, kinda, reeeeally wants to know how that's going. Having them all in one house had to be terrifying. Lal and Colonello by themselve right now would be….) also hopefully not here. Skull had no idea what could have put that look on Reborn's face. Not in this situation.

It was Reborn punching at the brick, breaking it barehanded that jolted Skull from his wandering thoughts.

He couldn't stop hitting the brick. Blood was running down his knuckles from the tron flesh but he couldn't stop.

Skull had ran from him.

Not because he'd chased him or smacked him. Not because he was startled or surprised. It had been the twitch of instinctive fear. Reborn was a teacher. He knew how to read body language, knew what his students were thinking before they did most of the time and everything about what just happened hadn't had any thought at all.

Skull had heard Reborn's voice close to his unprotected neck and he'd reacted. That his first reaction had been to flee wasn't any fault but Reborn's own. He knew that. He knew that. He knew he'd never treated Skull right, he knew that he'd never talked to Skull the way he had the others, he knew he'd never protected him when he could have, should have.

But it hurt.

Skull was one of his. Even when he'd been nothing but a noisy kid they had to drag along with them, he'd been his. Like the Others were, like Leon was, like Tsuna was. He wouldn't- Skull should have known instinctively that Reborn wouldn't attack him when he was at his most broken. It shouldn't have been something he'd have to think about. He was a Sun. At his core he protected. He taught. It was the entire reason he'd decided to teach his kids.

That Skull didn't think he was one of the few that Reborn would protect with everything he had tore at a place almost no one ever got to see.

And it was nothing but his own fucking fault.

He couldn't do this. He didn't think-

"What? Dude, listen, I honestly don't know what that was about but I can almost see your knuckle bone. Bones? Whatever." Skulls voice was frantic. "You really should heal that and maybe? Not? Punch the wall? Anymore?"

This kid..

"Like, I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything but that didn't seem like a great idea?" His voice was coming even closer. Hovering above his head like a nightmare he could never fully shake.

But Reborn couldn't do this. Not right now, not after fully realizing the depth that he's failed. One of his own isn't his own, not the way he should be. Not the way the thought he was. This is entirely in him and Reborn knows himself well enough that if he can't get Skull away, get him out before the explosion. He'll end up doing something they'd both regret.

"Come on man, just- " Cold, pale child-like hands gripped his wrist lightly. Ready to jerk back at the slightest hint of resistance. Not that Reborn planned to resist. He didn't even know if he'd be able to. Not after everything.

He couldn't look up at the worried face, didn't want to see the concerned eyes. Not yet. But he couldn't ignore Skulls voice.

"I know you don't like people touching you first, and believe me I understand exactly how that feels but.." Skulls voice trailed off.

"But?" He questioned after a beat to long of silence.

"But this looks really serious, man. I can't get hurt, not like this anyways. But the pains gotta be crap." Skull continued quietly.

"Not any worse than dying to your own Flames." Why couldn't he control himself? This wasn't the time to bring up the Future-That-Never-Was, not now, not with Skull still so skittish.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Skull snapped out. His hand tightened against Reborn's wrist harshly, and if Reborn was any other man he would have cried out at the pain of straining bone and pulling flesh. But he wasn't and this was nothing compared to the weeks before Verde had found Skull. It would take a lot more for him to jerk away then physical pain.

"I know you don't. But I do." But since they were already on the topic…

Skulls voice was closer to a snarl then any type of actual emotion when he replied. "And the Mighty Reborn always gets what he wants, doesn't he?"

Reborn didn't flinch but it was a near thing. He didn't understand but whatever that was about, those words sounded too… strong to be anything Skull thought up in the heat of the moment. It sounded like something the Cloud had told himself so many times actually saying it out loud added a weight that sat uncomfortably in his chest.

He couldn't.. what was he supposed to say to that? Yes he did always get what he wanted? Even with how emotional this entire situation was making him he wasn't compromised enough to not realize that would be the wrong answer.

He couldn't say no for the exact same reason. It was a blatant lie, one Skull knew wasn't true. Lying straight to the face of a Cloud (even one like Skull) was just asking to get chased down. Clouds could be relentless when enraged and lying to one when it knew you were lying? Suicide.

He had no answer. Didn't even know if there was a correct answer. But Skull was pulling away slowly, the flash fire rage from before returning to his eyes and Reborn had to stop this.

"I don't know what to say." His voice was harsh in its honestly. Raw in a way that made him very uncomfortable.

"What?" Skull had stopped moving away in his confusion. The mad light in his eyes banking slightly.

"I just don't know." Reborn went silent for a moment then continued frustration radiating out of his voice. "I don't know what you want me to say. I can't say yes because something about it would set you off, but I can't say no because we both know that's a lie. I do always get what I want. You know that. I know that. Hell the Mafia World in general knows that. But I need you here, even though I don't have an answer you'll accept. So I don't know what you want me to say."

Skulls own voice cut with a precision Reborn did know he had in him, "I don't want you to say anything. I want you to leave me alone, but you won't accept that will you? You can't. Because for once in your life something you want, something you feel your owed doesn't want you. Doesn't want you near them, doesn't want to use you, or hear hear you. All they want, all I want is to be left alone, and you can't stand it. Can't stand someone wanting nothing to do with you." Skull snached his hand away from Reborn's healed one after that tearing down. He stood from his hovering, the toxic fire flaring to life inside his eyes again.

For Reborn the pain of hearing what he knew to be both true and untrue flared hot inside his chest, followed quickly by outrage. How dare this fucking kid, who he'd protected for years ever talk to him like that. He was going to kill him, rip him apart and swallow the pieces.

"Just like you can't stand to be ignored right, Skull-Sama? That is your name right? The one we gave you after everyone else died? Because of you?" Reborn rose swiftly from his place hunched against the wall. Turning he faced Skull, harshly delighted at the fear he could see at the back of those purple eyes.

"Tell me. How is your little gang of orphans doing? Are they still at the safe house we set up after you begged us?" His voice was mocking when it continued, "Oh pleeeeeease Reborn-Senpai I don't know what to do! These kids they don't have anything! Oh please help me~!"

Skull took a stumbling step back away from Reborn, the fear in his eyes growing desperate. Reborn stepped after him, a towering shadow full of grinning teeth designed to hurt.

"Do you want me to tell you how many people I've had to kill to keep your little rat pack safe? How many unpaid jobs I've taken just because you can't do anything right?"
With every world Reborn took a step closer until he was right in Skulls face, one hand around his neck, the other petting his hair gently.

"Can't keep a Territory safe, can't be a Proper Cloud, can't even Harmonize with the strongest Sky in the world. Can't even stay dead. Tell me, Skull. What exactly can you do?" Reborn's voice was cruel. As cruel as he'd ever been in 30 years. Ever word designed to hurt, to tear all that hidden pain out into the light. Reborn wanted everything of him. His tears, his cries, his attention, his loyalty.

"I died for you."

The world seemed to pause around the two men. Reborn stood frozen, hand squeezing around that pale neck. (what? no he hadn't wanted that) Bruises already starting to stain.

Skulls eyes no longer held the fear they had before. He looked like a doll, worn out and empty. His mouth was completely neutral, skin pale except for that purple necklace. Reborn couldn't move. Couldn't pull his hand away.

"I died for you. And I didn't come back. What more could you want?" Skulls voice was completely empty of emotion. No fear, no rage, nothing. (Reborn desperately wanted that rage back. Anything, anything was better than this)

A soft touch against his chest had him reflexively looking down. It was one of Skulls small hands pushing him gently away. Adrenaline burst through him at the slight and he didn't know why. But something about it seemed final. He couldn't move as that hand pushed him far enough away that his own slipped from Skulls throat, far enough away Skull could slip away from his body. Could start walking to the edge of the ally.

Why couldn't he move? Skull was leaving and this wasn't what he wanted. None of this. Not the fight or the word or the fucking bruises. This wasn't the end, couldn't be the end. Not for them. Not after everything.

But his mouth wasn't working and he couldn't move, his legs felt like jelly and his heart was beating so fast if he'd been physically older he'd be worried about having a heart attack.

Skull was gone.

Again.

It's Fon that finds him what seems like seconds later. He's not breathing heavily but he obviously looks excited when he drops down in front of Reborn.

"So? Where is he, my friend? I'm assuming you've lost him but he couldn't have gotten far!" Fons voice is giddy in a way it almost never is.

He hates having to disappoint him. (What's the difference? You've already done it to Skull. What's one more of your own?)

"Leave him be, Fon." His voice sounds blank (But not as empty as Skulls had) but he doesn't feel like trying to fix it right then. "We got into an argument."

"Reborn. I told you to stall him not run him off." Fon's voice was soft in fond expectation.

But he had to know what had happened. What Reborn had said, even if he didn't know how very wrong it had all somehow gotten so quickly. Didn't know how close Reborn was to breaking down completely and destroying this entire city, himself included, Vindic be damned.

Fon had to know so why was he poised over him? Why was he guarding him from the the entrance of the ally. Making sure no one could see in? Why was Viper wrapping them in a time bubble? Why was Colonello sitting beside him, not touching but there? Why was Verde in the ally at all, why was Lal talking about where Skull would go next but not leaving.

Why were they here at all after what he'd done to their youngest member?

He didn't deserve it.

Didn't deserve them.

But they were here anyways.

"so maybe you were a lighter and
maybe you lit me on fire.
the heat of your gaze was nothing
compared to the fire burning in your mouth.
every word scorched,
every sentence devastated.
no survivors.

so maybe you were a lighter and
maybe i was once a firework.
but you ran out of fluid
and i'm all burned out
so what have we become now?"